Dupage Policy Journal

Whenever a state mandates wearing a mask, it’s seen with opposition from those who don’t believe it works; now, only a few states have one for indoor spaces.

Illinois is the only state in the Midwest that does this.

“I find it necessary to take measures consistent with public health guidance to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent shortages of hospital beds, ICU beds, ventilators, and PPE and to increase (coronavirus) testing capacity,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote in an executive order that went into effect last year.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 4.1% of its tests are positive.

“What I find interesting are the midwestern states,” Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico wrote on Facebook. “We all have a similar climate and the states in our region are all larger (population) states. That said, each state has a very different (coronavirus) mitigation strategy.  What I find interesting is that we are all currently in a very similar (coronavirus) transmission status […] Fact: Illinois is the only Midwestern state that currently requires a mask and yet as of today, we are no better off than the surrounding states. In my view, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information and the minimal, if any, impact of (coronavirus) mitigation strategies on actual results, it’s time to drop the mask mandate in Illinois. That said, I still encourage everyone who is willing to get vaccinated, do so ASAP.”

Infectious disease expert Dr. Lisa Brosseau argues that cloth masks are ineffective.  She states that surgical masks can block larger droplets from symptomatic people, who should not be out in public in the first place.

“The article started out with the goal of trying to look at the literature related to cloth masks in healthcare,” Brosseau said to Infection Control Today. “And then it got expanded way beyond that to cloth masks and surgical masks and respirators for healthcare and for the community. It was much more comprehensive than I expected it to be.”

Illinois is one of only six states in the country that still has a mask mandate, NBC Chicago reported.

Illinois is now in its 19th month of mask mandates. Pritzker issued the first mandate by invoking the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. His reason for issuing the mandate was because there was no vaccine and there was a concern over hospital capacities.

Brosseau wrote in an opinion article that the guidelines from the CDC didn’t have data showing whether cloth masks work.